Are you easily attracted to fishes with unique appearances? Most fish species you can see in fish stores can be colorful, but not to the extent that it has various shapes in their body.
This fish, who possesses vibrant colors, lights up the aquarium. However, these panther groupers obtain a unique appearance that you cannot commonly see in other species. It has perfectly round dots around its body with a darker color while the rest is in the light, making it a good combination.
If you want to place a unique species into your aquarium, you should consider this one. Though, think of the size of your tank before actually doing so.
Fish max size
This panther grouper can grow into a size you cannot imagine. You start having them when they are still tiny, but you should be aware that they develop day by day. This development is a fast pace appearing. That’s why it is essential to know a species max size before getting one.
They can develop up to 20 inches in size, so they weren’t your typical home aquarium fish. If you are a beginner at fishkeeping, getting this one might not be for you. Seeing a fish size, that vast can be seen less in home aquariums.
Tank size
To have a healthy environment for a panther grouper, you should place them into a vast aquarium. The water should be at a minimum of 300 gallons of water.
It will exceed depending on the number of panther groupers in your aquarium. The water shouldn’t be less than 300 gallons if you are planning to take care of them. Yes, you can still do it when they are still in a standard size. However, they can quickly outgrow your average tank.
Due to their maximum size, these species aren’t typically seen in a home aquarium. You can observe them in aquarium museums or public tanks where they swim freely to the vast space with other family species. You can also have one in your aquarium as long as you have good water capacity and tank size.
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Living requirement
In order for a panther grouper to stress-free live in your aquarium, you should lend a prosperous water condition. Like other species, they need clean water, so filtration and frequent cleaning will be necessary. They are not difficult to take care of as long as there’s proper water maintenance.
You can see this panther grouper in areas in your aquarium at the middle or top of the tank. However, if they are hunting for food, they will roam around the bottom of your aquarium. They will be more at ease in your aquarium once you place various pebbles.
You can also place hide-outs such as vast stones and plants. This hide-out should keep up with their size, so they utilize this as a resting spot. Do not worry if the plants or reefs darken some area in your aquarium, for a panther grouper will be delighted with that.
Tankmates
The most common way to select the best tankmates for our existing fish species is by knowing their size and water requirement. Placing various species with the same size will eliminate changes in consuming smaller fishes. Plus, it will provide a healthy environment for the fishes, for they will be a stress-free environment where no one is getting bullied.
In panther grouper, to find their best tankmates, place them together with species the same size as them. Panther grouper is known for consuming fishes that they can eat up, so always keep this in mind.
Select the non-aggressive fishes to avoid fighting that will end up opening wounds, making them prone to other diseases. If you’ll be placing other fishes, closely monitor first if they are compatible together.
If you’re still wondering what species you should put up with your panther grouper, here are some fish species you can consider.
- Anglerfish
- Triggerfish
- Pufferfish
- Lionfish
- Damselfish
- Tangs
- Butterflyfish
You can also place other species that are way bigger with a panther grouper that wasn’t aggressive at all. Even though panther groupers are giant, they still require tank mates that will be friendly to them. If you cannot choose any species from the list above, you can also add fishes with large tails. Technically, you should watch out for their size and behavior.
Is it reef safe?
You can observe panther groupers roaming around their sovereignty all the time. They tend to stay in the middle up to the top of an aquarium, swimming in circles. Their lounging space will be in the shady area of your aquarium, where decorations are placed. These panther groupers didn’t cause damage to our reefs.
However, if you can observe that they are creating destruction to the reefs, it may be due to other species living near the reefs.
If you’re not aware, panther grouper consume invertebrates species such as shrimps. These species live in the tank’s bottom, where we can see them resting on a rock or reef. This is the reason why reefs are being damaged because panther grouper tend to haunt this species causing damages to the reefs.
Panther grouper doesn’t have any agenda on destroying your reef. So if you own a reef tank, refrain from having an invertebrates species with a panther grouper.
Better separate them if you don’t plan on letting your invertebrates species be eaten by panther grouper. It will also eliminate reefs from being damaged.
What do they eat?
This panther grouper is an enormous fish species, so don’t shock when they consume small fishes in your tank. A school fish species usually swim around at the middle to bottom of your tank. Since panther grouper roam at the center of your tank and lounge or hunt at the bottom, these tiny fishes are at stake.
Aside from consuming small species, they are known for hunting invertebrates. You can feed them fresh or dried meats, for they are not picky eaters as long as it is meat.
Species of shrimp and squids are the favorite meal of this panther grouper. However, it would help if you watched out for the meat you’d let them eat. Make sure they have a balanced diet and nutrition intake as well.
Hi, my name is Sean, and I’m the primary writer on the site. I’m blogging mostly about freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish, invertebrates, and plants. I’m experienced in the fishkeeping hobby for many years. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. All my knowledge comes from experience and reading forums and a lot of informative sites. In pursuit of becoming a professional, I also want to inspire as many people as I can to pick up this hobby and keep the public interest growing.
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